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Monday, October 19, 2015

1 Corinthians 15:19-20 "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep."

Introduction:

Today's post represents some reflections on the significance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The aim is simply to give the reader a sampling of the massive significance of this truth.

To begin, the clearest statement found in the Bible on the significance of Christ’s resurrection from the dead is found in 1 Corinthians 15:19-20a “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most pitied. (20) But now Christ has been raised from the dead…” All Christianity, and life and the entirety of existence rises or falls with this doctrinal and historical reality.

Christ’s empty tomb, post-mortem appearances, the sudden switch of the disciples’ skepticism to robust faith and the early church can only be explained by the historical, physical, supernatural resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Christian doctrine would be jeopardized (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) as well as Christian preaching and the church itself if Christ had not risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Moreover, any ability to derive hope in this present life must be abandoned if Jesus Christ had never risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). For finding the purpose of existence and hope for the future, such quests must be abandoned if indeed Jesus Christ’s resurrection never took place (1 Corinthians 15:29-58).

But praise be to God – Jesus has risen – and thus we serve a risen, exalted Savior! The existence, reality and identity of the true and living God of the Bible is verified chiefly by the fact that He is credited with raising Jesus from the dead (Romans 6:4-11; Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 1:3). Jesus’ own Deity and true humanity are both verified by this event (John 10:17;Romans 1:1-3; Romans 9:5). Christ’s resurrection from the dead –deemed “firstfruits” in 1 Corinthians 15:20b, guarantees the Christian’s future glorified transformed resurrection body at His return (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16; 1 Corinthians 15:42-58).

Christ’s resurrection also has set in stone all of the prophecies and predictions pertaining to the rest of the Old Testament saints in the resurrection of the righteous, of which we will be a part (Job 14:14; Daniel 12). The Kingdom of darkness and Satan himself stand condemned and defeated as a result of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Colossians 2:11-12; Hebrews 2:11-14; 1 Peter 3:18-20). To summarize – Jesus’ resurrection stands as the epicenter of Christian experience, doctrine, history, the present and future hope for all who believe.